UPDATE: InPost initiates arbitration proceedings against Allegro seeking PLN 100 mln

"This is not only contrary to the spirit of the agreement, but also against the interests of end customers, who very quickly noticed that their preferences had been manipulated at the transaction stage, and we learned about this from users. We are trying to calm things down, tone things down, and not stir things up, contrary to what our colleagues at Allegro did and what actions they took a few months ago," InPost's CEO Rafal Brzoska told the press conference on Tuesday.

"On the other hand, as the management board, we have a duty to look after the interests of our shareholders. If we enter into agreements with a supplier or customer, and these are agreements that are, by definition, long-term agreements signed in good faith, then if one of the parties breaches the terms of such an agreement, we, as the management board, have a duty to respond," he added.

Brzoska continued that InPost calculated a penalty of nearly PLN 100 million (more precisely PLN 98.7 million or EUR 23.1 mln), which has not been paid by Allegro.

"So, in accordance with the contractual path, we went to the arbitration court, which provides a fairly quick path to resolution. Independent arbitrators will assess who violated the terms of the agreement," he added.

Allegro considers the claims to be unfounded.

"We received a demand from InPost, but after a preliminary analysis, we considered these claims to be completely unfounded and not supported by the agreement binding on both parties. The case is at a very early stage, so we do not want to comment on it further," head of communications at Allegro Group Marcin Gruszka said in a comment sent to PAP Biznes.

InPost expects the arbitration court to settle the case by the end of 2026.

CEO Brzoska pointed out that despite the dispute with Allegro, the company is conducting business talks ahead of the holiday peak in the fourth quarter.

"Allegro continues to violate the terms of the agreement, regardless of the fact that we have called on our partner to cease and pay a contractual penalty, and this continues to affect end customers," he said.

"On the other hand, we have a normal business dialogue, we are planning for the holiday peak, and this dialogue on the operational side is being maintained. We are not commenting on how further cooperation will unfold and what it will look like, we are doing our job and doing it effectively, looking at the numbers," Brzoska added.

When asked if the contract with Allegro will be extended after 2027, the CEO of InPost replied that he was ready for any scenario.

"Today's e-commerce world is changing very dynamically. In a moment, the marketplaces we know will either be under enormous pressure or cease to exist. An AI revolution is coming, in which marketplace brands and classic websites will simply stop exisiting. Anyone who fails to see this is ignorant," Rafal Brzoska said.

"Let me remind you that today, 52 percent of our revenue comes from abroad, while our partners at Allegro have probably 99 percent in Poland. Our foreign expansion is going full throttle, while our partner's expansion is going in the opposite direction. We are doing our job and are constantly open to partnership talks with anyone who is reasonable, sees and honours a partnership approach to cooperation," he added.

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